888 Online Poker Room Review

With over 15 years experience in the industry, 888Poker is a cool, reliable, and secure place to play poker, whether recreationally or as a pro. Their team of ambassadors includes Shane Warne, a cricketer of international fame, who has been their team captain since 2008, as well as MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre, and poker greats JC Tran, Sofia Lovgren, and Xuan Liu. They boast innovative and unique features, such as PokerCam, teams poker, private games, and 3D poker. Responsible gaming is a priority for them, and they have self-set limits and support programs available to help prevent complusive usage and underaged gambling.

Due to a recent reinterpretation of federal law, along with new technology that allows a poker site to validate the physical location of an online poker player via Geo Locating, online poker is making its comeback in the US. 888Poker is one of the online casinos that has been fully verified by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, meaning online poker is now fully legal and regulated in the state of New Jersey, with other states like Nevada and Delaware hot on their heels. Thanks to a collaboration of Caesars Entertainment and 888 Holdings, players over the age of 21 in New Jersey are now able to play safely and legally at 888 Poker for first time since 2006, whether they are residents of the state or simply visiting for the weekend. Though you can’t play for real money outside of New Jersey, you are still able to register at 888Poker, so the next time you visit New Jersey, you will be all set to start playing!

888 Poker Bonus and Promotions

888Poker has some great promotional offers for first-time players on their site. In fact, just for registering, you will receive a $10 registration bonus to start playing right away. There is no bonus code or deposit necessary. Once you register, you will receive an email with a link to claim your new player bonus. Simply click the link and the registration bonus will be deposited into your account. For the more serious player, 888Poker also offers a 100% new player first deposit bonus, up to $888. The bonus is released in $10 increments, which is a huge benefit if you are unable to work off the entire bonus before it expires (in 90 days).

At 888Poker in New Jersey, you earn a status level based on how much you play, and your status level gets awarded a certain number of rewards points, which can be converted to cash. There are six status levels, with each offering a higher conversion rate to rewards points, and therefore more cash back. The lowest level, Blue Tier, offers a 5% cash back rate, while the highest tier, Platinum, offers 35% cash back. Regardless of your status level, these rewards are tough to beat in New Jersey!

Your reward status also determines which freerolls you are eligible to participate in, with the lowest level offering a prize pool of $50, and the highest offering a sizable prize pool of $3,000. All you have to do to participate is check your rewards status and register yourself for the appropriate freeroll. They are also offering a current “Burst the Bubble” promotion, where if you lose out on the bubble, you will get your buy-in (up to $20) refunded, as well as an entry into a $300 Bubble freeroll.

Payment Methods

888Poker offers deposits and withdrawals via bank transfers (ACH), Neteller, and cash (through the Casino’s Cage- available casinos listed in the cashier). For simple deposit methods, without the ability to process withdrawals, you can use Visa credit and debit cards, Mastercard, Online Banking Transfer, and PayNearMe, which is a way to deposit cash in person at a 7-11 store to your online account. The “Banking” tab on their website also has an incredibly helpful and extensive list of detailed instructions and information for any issues you might come across regarding deposits/withdrawals.

Downloading and installing the 888Poker software is simple and straightforward. They have very detailed step-by-step instructions on their website should you have any difficulties. Once you have the software up and running, click the button for “New Player” or “Register Now,” fill out the registration form, and click “Create my Account.” You will then be able to log on with a simple username and password of your choice and start playing poker!

888 Poker Software

888Poker has been around the block when it comes to online poker, and their smooth, easy to use software is considered one of the best in the world. Hand histories are stored to your hard drive, enabling you to use a HUD if you so choose, and they have a really clear hand replayer for when you missed the action at your table and want to review. Tournaments players will be glad to know 888Poker uses synchronized breaks, which are a huge benefit for anyone who plays more than one tournament at a time. One of neatest and most unique features of 888Poker are their “PokerCam” tables, where you can see your opponent in real time via webcam. It’s as close to live poker as you can get online! They have a great mobile app (that’s also free!) for any Android or iOS device that enables you to access all the features you get on your computer on your smartphone or tablet. You can play cash games, SNG’s, even MTT’s on the go with all the security of 888Poker. You can even use the app exclusively, registering and collecting bonuses there with no problem.

As far as customer support goes, 888Poker has a phone number listed directly on their website, which is a fantastic way to get immediate customer support. They also have an Online Help page with answers to a ton of common issues, from deposits/withdrawals, bonuses and promotions, to technical problems including verifying your location (which is important in New Jersey!). They also offer live-chat support, which is invaluable for helping solve problems in real time while logged into your account.

888Poker is a reputable and trustworthy brand. It has been around for over a decade with no major scandals, and has been backed by the London Stock Exchange listed company 888 Holdings since 2005. Their software is certified by McAfee, TRUSTe, GameCare, and ICRA, and they have over 5 million registered users worldwide, processing thousands of transactions securely every day. They require ID verification of all their users, and ensure the security of identification documents using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to provide secure uploading.

Available Poker Games

888Poker offers a variety of games so you will be sure you find a game that appeals to you. Their current offerings for ring games include Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo. Because of 888’s affiliation with other casino games and sports betting, they are able to draw in a lot of recreational players, making the lower games especially fun to play with a lot of action at pretty much any time of day. They also offer a multitude of SNG’s, MTT’s, satellites, and scheduled tournaments at a wide range of buy-ins, in addition to the monthly freerolls for those trying to build their bankroll. Their smooth interface makes it easy to quickly find and start playing whatever game you want in a matter of seconds.

The limits at 888’s cash games range from $.05/$.10 all the way up to $75/$150, obviously with more volume at the lower games than the very high. This makes it possible for any player to find the right level for them to play at. One of the great things about playing at 888Poker is that the rake is really quite reasonable, especially at the lower stake levels. For the $.05/$.10 games, the rake is capped at only 6 cents a pot. At $.25/$.50 the rake is capped at $.30. This is a huge benefit for low-stakes players because at many websites, the rake is disproportionately large at low- stakes, which really cuts into a players winrates and can make it nearly impossible to pull a profit. At games above $1/$2, the rake is a standard 5% capped at $3, which is nothing to complain about! Their SNG tournament buy-ins range from $1 to $100, and they even offer a $200 buy-in, $10,000 guaranteed Sunday event. However, it appears that at this point, the low to mid-stakes cash games are where the real volume is at 888Poker New Jersey.

Summary

All in all, 888Poker in New Jersey is a off to a great start in bringing online poker back to the US. Their easy to use software makes playing on their network a pleasure, and their new player bonuses are a great incentive to go and try it out. The reliable and time-tested company, along with the recent regulations and legalization in New Jersey ensures your experience at 888Poker will be safe, secure, and enjoyable from first-deposit to withdrawal. Next time you drop by Atlantic City, make sure you bring your computer, smartphone, or tablet along and give online poker a try!